Method and apparatus for making wire frames for candle holders



3 Sheecs-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY L. WEISS March 2, 1937.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKINGWIRE FRAMES FOR CANDLE HOLDERS Filed March'B, 1935 L. wElss 2,072,236

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FRAMES FOR CANDLE HOLDERS March 2, 1937.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1955 @mm1 kllllllIllllHIIIIIIHHIHIIIIIIII ml Illll HIIIIHI Illllllllll INVENTOR E WEA/55 k mju/d'2@ ATTORNEY March 2, 1937. wElss 2,072,230

A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FRAMES FOR CANDLE HOLDERS Filed March 8, 1935 mvENToR.v 0 1 4)ME/.ss

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ATTORNEY.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 2, 1937 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FRAMES FOR CANDLE HOLDERS Leo Weiss, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner of; Ionetwentieth to N. D. Q. Specialty Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork v Application March s, i935, serial No. 9,990`

9 Claims.

This invention relates to the method and apparatus for making wire frames for candle holders. The object of the invention is the production of the wire frames ofcandle holders, comprising j each a helical socket portion for the insertion of a candle and a shank to be inserted into a cake and the like.

The second object of the invention is vthe production of wire frameshaving helical socket portions, with means for pre-bending the Wires of the frames before forming said socket portions, to avoid excessive resistance when the said socket portions are formed. This application is a continuation in part of my application for Method and apparatus for making candle holders, Serial Number 733,068, filed June 29th, 1934.

In theaccompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a top `plan view of apparatus for making vwire frames for candle holders; Fig. 2 `shows an extension of Fig. l on areduced scale; Fig. 3 is a front view of Fig. 2; Fig. fl indicates a section .of Fig. 5 on the line 4.4; Fig. 5 represents a section of Fig. 4 on the line 5.5; Fig. 6 shows an enlarged side view partly in section of an element of Fig. 4; Fig. '7 indicates an enlarged vertical vsectionbi an element of Fig. 4,; Fig. Y8 shows a section of Fig. 1f on the line ,8.8; Fig. 9 represents an elevation of one of the wire frames; Fig. 10 shows an enlarged section of Fig. l on the line MM5; Fig. 1l is a right hand side view of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 represents a section of Fig. 10 on the line '|2.|2; Fig. 13 shows an enlarged sectionof Fig. 1 on the line |3.|3; Fig. 14 is a section of Fig. 1`3 on the line id ll; and Fig. 15 indicates a section of Fig. 13 on the line |5.|5.

Referring to Figs. l, Zand 3, the apparatus for making the wire frames for candle holders is shown to comprise the main platform 25, which is supported on the angle iron legs 2B adjacent 'to the corners of said platform. From one of the legs extends the horizontal-angle iron support 21. A supporting brace `28 is provided for the angle iron support 21. A plurality of wire supply spools 3D are rotatively supported on .the support 2l. A journal bracket 32 having the hub end 33 extends from the support 2l. A journal pin 34 extends through the hub end 33. An arm is fastened to the lower end of the pin 34 and an n operating link 35 is pivoted to the arm 35. The

link 35 is pulled forward and back, by means not shown. A second journal bracket 4|] having the hub end li extends from the support 2T. A journal pin 42 extends through 'the hub end 4|.

Ball cranks each having the hub 46,"the short arm il and the long arm 58, have their hubs 4S fastened to the upper ends of the journal pins 34 and 42. A link 5l) connects Vthe arms 41 and a supporting plate 5| connects the long arms 48V. A plurality of flanged guide rollers 53 are `v rotatively supported on the 'supporting plate 5|.

Guide pins 51| adjacent to thefperipheries of the rollers 53 extend from the supporting plate 5|. By moving the operating link 36 equal lengths of the Wires 55, 55, 5l and 58 aresimultaneously drawn from the spools 30.'

Upon the main platform 25 are supported a pair of oppositely positioned journal brackets 59 having the upper journalbearings 30 and the lowerjournal bearings 5|. In the journal bearings 60 are journaled the rollers 53 and Sli, which have the circumferential V shaped grooves 65. In the journal bearings 3| is journaled the roller 10 having the circumferential V shaped grooves 1 I. A pair of arms 'i2 have each one end fastened to the roller l0. The `roller i3' `having the circumferential grooves lll, and the rollerl5 having the circumferential grooves '16, are journaled in the arms l2. It will be noted that the rollers 1Q, '|3 and 'l5 are in a plane below the rollers S3 and 64. The arms l2 carry the supporting plate 'i8 in which are journaledl the anged guide rollers 19. Guide pins 85 extend from the plate 'i8 adjacent to the rollers '|9.V The wires 55 to 58 engage the guide rollers 13. From the arms 'l2 extends the lower guide plate 80a, Fig. 3, which has in f;

threaded engagement the adjusting screw 8|, by means of which the supporting plate 'i8 can be tilted to different positions, to locate the rollers `of the armsy 'l2 in different positions to varythe roller l5, then under the Yroller 54, and finally over the roller lo. It will be noted that the wires 55`to'58, by reason of contacting with the rollers 53, 64, lo, 'i3 and 'l5 are straightened in parallel vertical planes. i

A U shaped supporting bracket having the ,A

bottom wall 85 and the end walls 3l, is supported upon and secured to the main platform 25. Similar supporting bars B8, B9, 30, 9| and 92 are sldably supported on the bottom wall 35. The

said bars have rotatively connected thereto the the journal brackets |05 `is provided with the upper journal bearing |06 and the lower journal bearing |01. An upper shaft |68 is journaled in the journal bearings |06 and a driving shaft is journaled in the journal bearings |01. A third journal bearing ||2 supports one end of the shaft ||0. To the shaft |08 is fastened the central disc ||5, having the circumferential grooves ||6 in its end faces and locking pins ||8 extend from said end faces. The side walls of the grooves ||6 are preferably knurled. Similar end discs |20 are fastened to the shaft |08. Each of the latter discs has a circumferential groove |2| having its side wall preferably knurled and a locking pin |22 extends from one of its faces. Pairs of adjustable discs |25 are slidably supported on the shaft |08 between the discs and |20. Each pair of the discs |25 are spaced from each other by the springs |26 and have openings for the locking pins ||8 and |22. The discs |25 have the circumferential grooves |28, the side walls of which are preferably knurled.

A spur gear |30 is fastened to the shaft |08 and a spur gear |3| is fastened to the driving shaft ||0. A locking clutch member |32 is integral with the spur gear |3|. A drum |34 is fastened to the shaft ||0. A wide spur gear |35 is slidably supported on the shaft ||0. A clutch member |36 is integral with the spur gear |35. The clutch member |36 is adapted to lock with the clutch member |32. A spring |38 encircles the shaft ||0 and bears between the spur gear |35 and the journal bearing ||2. A journal bracket |40 is fastened to the main platform 25. A flange roller |4| is journaled to the bracket |40. A rack bar |45 is positioned between the spur gear 3| and the roller |4|, with the teeth of the rack bar |45 in mesh with the teeth of the spur gear |3|. The rack bar |45 extends through the opening |48 in the platform 25. A journal bracket |50 extends from the lower face of the platform 25. An arm |5| has its ends pivoted to the journal bracket |50 and to the lower end of the rack bar |45. An operating lever |52 has one end thereof pivoted to the arm |5|.

With the reciprocations of the operating lever |52, by means not shown, the rack bar |45 is reciprocated, which turns the spur gears |30 and |3|. While the rack bar |45 is moving downwardly the clutch members |32 and |36 remain locked, and the drum |34 and the discs ||5 and |20 turn. The pairs of the adjustable discs |25 also turn with the shaft |08.

The wires 55 to 58 are led to and through the circumferential grooves of the rotating elements on the shaft 08, and by reason of the tension of the springs |26, clamp the said wires, which are thereby independently fed through the feeding device |02. By means of the independent adjustability of the discs |25, even if the wires are of different diameters, they will however, be all simultaneously fed through the device |02 at the same speed.

Referring the Figs. 1, 13, 14 and 15, the shearing device for the wires 55 to 58 inclusive is designated in its entirety by the numeral |60. The said shearing device comprises the pair of journal brackets |6|, |62 and the journal bracket |63, all of which extend up from and are fastened to themain platform 25. In the journal brackets |6| and |62 is journaled the shaft |65, on which is fastened the U shaped arm |66 having the depending portion |61. A plurality of guide tubes |68 having the shearing ends |60 for the reception of the wires 55 to 58 are positioned in the portion |61. Depending journal brackets extend from the arm |66. A shaft |1| has its ends supported in the journal brackets |10. On

the shaft 1| are supported supporting blocks |12. At the upper portion of each supporting block |12 is indicated the U shaped cavity |16. The blocks |12 are suspended from the shaft 1|. Screw |18 carried by the shaft |1| extend through the cavities |16. Through each of the supporting blocks |12 at the lower portion thereof extends an elongated guide tube |80 and which are normally in line with the guide tubes |68. In the upper end of the journal bracket |63 is journaled the shaft |82, which is rotated by means not shown. A cam |83 is fastened to the shaft |82. A roller |84 is journaled to one end of the arm |66, and said roller |84 contacts with the cam |83. A spring |85 has one end fastened to the apparatus and its other end is fastened to the arm |66. The shearing device |60 is operated by turning the shaft |82, by means not shown. The cam |83 contacting with the roller |84 swings the arm |66 and the shearing ends |69 of the guide tubes |68 shear off the wires that are positioned in the guide tubes 68 and |80. The said wires enter the guide tubes |80 after leaving the Wire feeding device |02. When the arm |66 swings the supporting blocks |12 on the shaft |1|, the amount of swing is controlled by the screws |18 when they contact with the upper and lower walls of the cavities |16. The blocks |12 follow the inclination of the wires when the latter are swung out of line, by reason of the swinging of the arm 66 and thereby kinks in the Wires are avoided.

Referring to Figs. 1, 4 and 5 a supporting bracket is designated in its entirety by the numeral 2|0. The bracket 2|0 comprises the body portion 2 |2 having longitudinal openings 2|3 and is provided with the feet 2 I4 which are supported upon and fastened to the main platform 25. From the body portion 2|2 extends the vertical wall 2|6. The wall 2|6 has integral therewith a pair of journal hubs 222. A journal hub 223 is also integral with the wall 2|6. In the body portion 2|2 are openings 224, one of which is shown.

An initial bending device is designated in its entirety by the numeral 225. The device 225 comprises a pair of shafts 221. The latter shafts are supported in the hubs 222. From the shafts 221 depend the arms 228, which at their lower ends are connected by the angle iron guide 229 having the guide slots 230. To one of the shafts 221 is fastened the crank arm 232 and the latter has pivoted thereto the link 233 which is moved by means not shown. In the openings 224 are journaled a plurality of tubular guide spindles 235, each having a guide slot 236. One of said spindles is provided for each of the wires 55 to 58. To each of the spindles 235 is fastened a spur gear 240. shearing bushings 24| having the shearing ends 24|a are tightly secured in the openings 224.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a driving device is designated in its entirety by the numeral 242. The said driving device comprises a pair of journal brackets 243 :which extend up from the main platform 25. A shaft 245 has its ends journaled in the journal brackets 243. A large spur gear 246 is fastened to the shaft 245 and has integral therewith the clutch member 241. A spur gear 246 is carried on the shaft 245 and has integral therewith the clutch member 249, which is adapted to engage the clutch member 241. A spring 250 encircles the shaft 245 and bears between the journal bracket 243 and the spur gear 248. A pair of journal brackets 252 extend up from the main platform 25 and have journaled therein the shaft 253. to which is fastened the Hanse roller 250. A rack bar' 255 is interposed between the roller 253 an-d the spur gear 248 with which latter it is in mesh. In the journal hub 223 is journaled the shaft 255, to which are fastened a pair of arms 2M. In the arms 25H is journaled the bending shaft 255. To one end of the shaft 235 is fastened the arm l which latter has journaled thereto the roller 258. A grooved cam 270 on the shaft 2li coacts with the roller 263.

The rack bar 255 is vertically reciprocated by means not shown. With the upward movements of the rack bar 255, the spur gear 228 turns and thereby the large spur gear 233 transmits rotation to the spur gears 230. With the rotations vof the spur gears 230 the guide spindles 235 are turned. The wires 55 to 52 after they leave the feeding device l2 enter and move through the guide tubes and from the latter enter and pass through the guide tubes l38. The wires to 58 then enter the shearing bushings Elli and pass through the guide spindles 235. By the operation of the shearing device l5@ the wires are sheared by the shearing ends 55 and 20m which are adjacent to each other. After predetermined lengths of the wires 55 to 53 have been sheared the feeding device E52 moves additional lengths of wires through the bushings 23 i which push the previously cut lengths of wires through the guide spindles 235. As the wires leave the spindles 235, the bending shaft 235 has previously been positio-ned below the guide spindles 235. While rthe lengths of wires are pushed forwardly the bending shaft 253 swings upwardly and bends the cut off portions of the wires 55 to 58 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The said bending occurs at the inner ends of the slots 235.

In the body portion 292 is supported the slide plate 225 which at its front end has integral therewith a bracket 235. The said bracket has formed therewith a plurality of cup shaped housings 2`l'l, each of which has the opening 238 in its vertical wall, and the T shaped opening 220 having the guide wall 283 and the guide wall 28! in f its roof which join with the opening 228. A link 282 is pivoted to the slide plate 215. The link 282 is actuated by means not shown to reciprocate the slide plate 275.

Referring to Fig. 9 the wire frame 288 of the candle holder is shown to comprise the helical socket portion 230, and from the latter extends the shank 29i. When the slide plate 235 positions the housings 2li with their openings 218 around the forward ends of the spindles 235, the

walls 28 are in line with the inner ends of the slots 235, and the wires are bent further to vertical positions. While the walls 280 are bending the wires upwardly, they also position said wires in the guide slots 238. 'When the housings 21T with their walls 280 reach the end of their stroke in a direction opposite the arrow A, Fig. 4, the angle iron guide 229 begins to horizontally reciprocate .and initially bends the wires around the forward ends of the spindles 235. The angle iron guide 225 in this instance bends a pair of wires in one direction and during the opposite movement of the angle iron guide 229 releases the said wires and bends another pair of the wires in an opposite direction. At the same time each pair of the spindles 235 are rotating at a speed slower than the reciprocations of the guide 229 in directions opposite to the bending of the wir-es. The purpose of the steps just described is to reduce the power required to form the helical socket portions 280 of the frames 288.

As the spindles 235 turn the slide plate 215 simultaneously moves forwardly in the direction of the arrow A. The vertical legs of the wires bear against one of the walls 23! of the T shaped openings 273, and are thereby carried forwardly. At the same time the helical socket portion 290 of the wire frames are formed around the forward ends of the spindles 235.

It will be noted that a portion of each length of wire remains within the bore of its guide spindle 235, while its helical socket portion is being formed.

Referring to Figs. 1, 4 and 5, a spindle operating device is designated in its entirety by the numeral 300. The device 300 comprises the supporting frame 30l, having the row of journal bearings 302 and the row of journal bearings 303. In each accompanying pair of said bearings are journaled the spindles 304.

Each of the spindles has provided therefor an expansion support. Each expansion support, see Figs. 7 and 8, of the spindles 30 comprises the fixed tapered semi-cylindrical portion 358, which is a continuation of the spindle 301i. A second tapered semi-cylindrical movable portion is shown at 309 and is normally spaced from the portion 308. A plate spring 3l0 has one end fastened to the spindle 304 by the screw 3H and its other end is fastened to the portion 380 by the screw 3 l 2. By virtue of the construction just described, the portion 303 is in movable relation to the portion 308, and thereby the outer diameter of the said portions 308 and 33 is variable. To the spindles`304 are fastened the driving gears 3115 and 3|6. Supplemental journal bearings 3I8 and 3l9 are integral with the device 35, and have journaled therein the shaft 323. On the shaft 320 is fastened the driving gear 32| which meshes with the gear 3I5. A spur gear 322 is also fastened to the shaft 325. A pair of journal bearings 327 extend from the platform 25. A shaft 328 is journaled in the journal bearings 323 and has fastened thereto the flange roller 329. A rack bar 3363 is interposed between the roller 329 and the gear 322, with which latter it is in mesh.

Means not shown are provided for reciprocating the rack bar 330. On the shaft 323 is fastened a third gear 33E. A journal bracket 335 extends from the platform 25 and has fastened thereto a pair of studs 333. Idler gears 338 and 338, in mesh with each other, are supported on the studs 336. A driven gear 330 fastened to one of the spindles 303 is in mesh with idler gear 338. An idler gear 332 on one of the spindles 332 is in mesh with the gear 33. A driven gear 333 fastened to one of the spindles 355 is in mesh with the gear 302. A pair of journal brackets 34'! are integral with the device 305 and have journaled therein the shaft 338. An arm 33S has one end fastened to the shaft 308. .A link 355' is pivoted to the upper end of the arm 349 and rocks the latter by means not shown. A plate 35| is fastened to the shaft 338. Adjusting screws 352 with lock nuts extend from the plate 35|. A cover 360 is provided for the spindle operating device 300.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4 after the frames 288 have been formed with their helical socket portions 290 they are supported on the guide spindles 235. Next the slide plate 215 moves in the direction of the arrow A, and the helical socket portions 230 in the housings 2li are located around the forward ends of the spindles 304. Before the portions 290 are located around the spindles 304, the screws 352 by virtue of the swing of the plate i", the said screws 352 bear against the movable cylindrical portions 3539, to reduce the outer diameters of the portions @t8 and 309 to freely receive the helical socket portions 290. The screws 352 now separate from the guide spindles 3531i and the latter tightly support the helical socketportions 251i) of the frames 288, resulting from the separation of the portions 30S from the portions 308. The slide plate 215 now moves in a direction opposite to the arrow A, and the foregoing steps are repeated to form succeeding lots of wire frames 288. The frames 288 are removed from the spindles 3M by means not shown to be used for candle holders.

Various modications may be made in the invention and the present exemplications is to be taken as illustrative and not limitative'thereof.

Having described my invention I claim:

l. In a feeding device for an apparatus the combination of a rotating drum, a shaft parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum and rotating therewith, discs having circumferential grooves in their end faces fastened to the shaft, pairs of adjustable discs supported on the shaft and having circumferential grooves coaoting with the grooves of the other discs, connections between each adjustable disc and one of the other discs, the circumferential surface of the drum adjacent to the circumferential surfaces of the discs and flexible means between the pairs of adjustable discs, the grooves of the discs adapted to grip wires of various diameters to feed them through the feeding device.

2. In a feeding device the combination of a rotating drum, a shaft parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum and rotating therewith, discs having circumferential knurled grooves in their end faces fastened to the shaft, pairs of adjustable discs supported on the shaft having circum- `erential knurled grooves coacting with the adjacent grooves of the other discs, connections between each adjustable disc and one of the other discs to slidably connect them, the circumferential surface of the drum adjacent to the circumferential surfaces of the discs and flexible means between each pair of adjustable discs to automatically locate them in operative position.

3. In a shearing device the combination of an oscillating arm, a plurality of guide tubes each having a shearing end supported in the arm, a shaft carried by the arm and spaced there from, a plurality of supporting blocks suspended from said shaft and an elongated guide tube supported in each supporting block, the axis of each of the latter guide tubes normally coaxial with the axis of one of the guide tubes of the arm.

4. In a shearing device the combination of an oscillating arm, a plurality of guide tubes each having a shearing end supported in the arm, a shaft fastened to the arm and spaced therefrom, a plurality of supporting blocks suspended from said shaft, an elongated guide tube supported in each supporting block, each elongated guide tube normally coaxial with one of the other guide tubes and means to limit the extent of any oscillations of the suspended supporting blocks, each elongated guide tube with its coaxial guide tube adapted to have a wire fed therethrough.

5. In an apparatus the combination of a bracket having an opening therethrough, a shearing bushing having a shearing end in the said opening, a tubular guide spindle journaled in said opening coaxial with said shearing bushing, a portion of said spindle extending outside of said bracket, said portion of the spindle having a guide slot, means to rotate the spindle, an angle iron guide having a guide slot above the guide slot in the spindle and means to reciprocate said guide over the spindle during the rotations of the latter.

6. In an apparatus the combination of a bracket having a plurality of openings, a shearing bushing in each opening, a tubular guide spindle journaled in each opening coaxial with the shearing bushing therein, a portion of each spindle extending outside of said bracket, each of said portions having a guide slot, a spur gear fastened to each spindle, said spur gears in mesh with each other, means to turn said spur gears and thereby rotate the spindles, an angle iron guide having a plurality of guide slots above said spindles and means to reciprocate said angle iron guide during the rotations of the spindles, each of said bushings and its coacting guide spindle adapted to have a length of wire forced therethrough, the front end portion of each wire adapted to extend through oneof the guide slots of the angle iron guide to be bent during the reciprocations of the said angle iron guide.

7. In an apparatus the combination of a plurality of rotating tubular spindles each having a guide slot, an angle iron guide having a plurality of guide slots above said spindles, means to reciprocate said angle iron guide during the rotations of the spindles, each of said spindles adapted to have a length of wire forced therethrough, a bending shaft adjacent to said angle iron guide and means to actuate said shaft to bend the forward end of each length of wire and locate it in one of the guide slots of said angle iron guide.

8. In an apparatus the combination of a plurality of rotating tubular guide spindles each having a guide slot, said spindles each adapted to have a length of wire forced therethrough, means to reciprocate and bend the forward end of each wire as it is forced through its spindle, a reciprocating slide plate parallel to and spaced from said spindles and a plurality of cup shaped housings extending from said reciprocating slide plate, each of said housings having an opening coaxial with one of said spindles, and having a second opening leading to the former opening, the said housings positioned around the forward ends of said spindles by the said slide plate to position the wires in said second openings of the housings, the rotations of the spindles forming a helical socket portion for each length of wire while the slide plate moves the housings from said spindles.

9. rIhe method of making a plurality of frames for candle holders consisting in simultaneously pulling equal lengths of wires from sources of supply, simultaneously straightening the wires in the planes of their longitudinal axes and then in a plane at right angles to their longitudinal axes, simultaneously shearing the wires to equal predetermined lengths and simultaneously forming a helical socket portion at one end of each wire.

LEO WEISS. 

